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O'Connor blow for Rebels

Sun, 12 May 2013 09:18

Wallaby James O'Connor is expected to miss up to two weeks of Super Rugby after injuring his chest playing for the Melbourne Rebels this weekend.

The Rebels said in a statement on Sunday that the Wallaby playmaker damaged his left sternoclavicular joint, although scans showed there was no fracture.

"Although [the] scans this [Sunday] afternoon confirmed no fracture, the Wallaby playmaker is in doubt for the Rebels match against the Stormers this Friday," the statement said.

O'Connor was injured in the early stages of the Rebels loss to the Blues in Auckland at the weekend and was unable to continue, after initially playing through the injury.

The Rebels will also be without rookie, and O'Connor's replacement, Angus Roberts, who left the field with a dislocated shoulder.

Roberts will be further assessed on Monday, with surgeons to determine the full extent of the damage and if any further action will be required.

O'Connor's setback comes in the wake of the decision to drop bad boy Kurtley Beale from the squad after he breached a 'no drinking' agreement - as part of his recovery process from an alcohol-fuelled rage which resulted ion a brawl with two teammates on the team bus on tour in South Africa earlier this season.

Beale's participation in the Stormers game is to be decided at a meeting between the Rebels and the Australian Rugby Union this week.

Bryce Hegarty made his Super Rugby debut against the Blues, coming on at No.10 after switching from the Brisbane Broncos Under-20s team this season.